USA school survey of food allergy

Monday, 01 December 2008 20:48

In an effort to gather more information on food allergy management in schools, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) and the School Nutrition Association (SNA) recently conducted a web-based survey of 844 school nutrition professionals and district directors in the US to learn what they are currently doing to address food allergies.

According to the results of the survey, while 84 percent of school nutrition professionals reported having children with known food allergies in their school, 21 percent reported they do not have a formal plan for addressing food allergic reactions, and an additional 13 percent said they were unsure what they were supposed to do to respond to an allergic reaction.

Most school nutrition professionals (80 percent) report collecting food allergy information from students at least once a year, which is critical in keeping track of new allergies and medications. Moreover, 55 percent have provided food allergy education to parents and students, and 56 percent have provided education to foodservice personnel.

For a more detailed description of the survey, results and conclusions, go to www.ific.org/foodinsight/2008/so/allergyplanfi508.cfm